February 6, 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake news

By Tara Subramaniam, Rhea Mogul, Adam Renton, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 0503 GMT (1303 HKT) February 7, 2023
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10:46 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Turkey closes schools nationwide for a week

From CNN's Isil Sariyuce 

All schools nationwide in Turkey will be closed for a week due to the recent earthquakes, Turkish education Minister Mahmut Özer announced Monday.

More than 1,800 people have been killed and thousands more injured after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria early Monday. 

10:46 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Austria will send aid to Turkey following earthquake

From CNN's Inke Kappeler

Austria will deploy 84 soldiers from its Disaster Relief Unit to Turkey to support rescue operations in the region as of Tuesday, according to a government news release. 

The country will also pledge three million euros ($3.2 million) to support aid organizations in their work on the ground.

Due to the scale and impact of Monday’s earthquake, Austria will “provide rapid humanitarian aid,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in the news release. 

“The terrible pictures that have reached us today from Turkey and Syria after the earthquakes show drastic damage and a large number of victims. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with the victims and their families,“ Nehammer added. 

According to current plans, the disaster relief mission of the Austrian Armed Forces is scheduled to last for about 10 days. Three rescue and recovery groups consisting of medical, logistics and hygiene experts can be deployed to two separate search locations, the government said. 

“We are standing with the people in Turkey and Syria in this difficult situation," the Austrian chancellor said.

9:22 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Footage shows workers rescuing toddler and others from rubble after deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria

More than 1,800 people have died in Turkey and Syria, and thousands more injured, after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey.

Rescue workers were seen pulling out a toddler and a man from rubble at a site.

Watch video of the rescues as CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports from Istanbul:

8:52 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Turkey's death toll surpasses 1,100 after powerful earthquake

From CNN's Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul 

The death toll has risen to 1,121 in Turkey following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday, according to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).

A total of 1,121 people have died, 7,634 were injured and 2,834 buildings were damaged in Turkey, said Orhan Tatar, AFAD's general director.

The total death toll in Syria stands at more than 800.

8:50 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

UK sending search and rescue specialists to Turkey following devastating earthquake

From CNN’s Eve Brennan and Max Foster in London  

The UK is sending 76 search and rescue specialists to Turkey following the powerful earthquake that hit the country early Monday morning, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Monday. 

Cleverly said in a statement that the UK is sending “immediate support” to Turkey, “including a team of 76 search & rescue specialists, equipment and rescue dogs.”

“In Syria, the UK-funded White Helmets have mobilised their resources to respond,” he added, pledging to provide further support if needed.

According to the statement, a flight is expected to depart the UK at 4 p.m. local (11 a.m. ET) for Gaziantep.

“The Government is in contact with British humanitarian workers in the affected areas, and we stand ready to provide support to any British nationals affected,” the statement added.

8:42 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Pakistan is sending aid to Turkey amid earthquake aftermath

From CNN’s Sophia Saifi in Islamabad

Pakistan is sending rescue and relief teams as well as goods to Turkey, expected to arrive “very soon,” the Pakistan Embassy in Turkey tweeted on Monday.

“Two C-130 planes are ready to leave for Turkiye, 1 with relief goods and the other one with 36 personnel for the search and rescue operation,” Pakistan’s Information Ministry said in a statement, adding, “They might leave tonight or tomorrow morning.”

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a team consisting of doctors, paramedics and rescue workers are being sent to Turkey to help with rescue and relief efforts, and that a plane carrying medicines and other essential relief goods will be dispatched soon.

10:47 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Israel sending aid to Syria and Turkey, Netanyahu says

From CNN’s Amir Tal and Hadas Gold in Jerusalem

Israel is sending humanitarian aid to Syria — a country it is formally at war with — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, following the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey near the Syrian border. 

Israel had received the aid request “from a diplomatic element,” without specifying who the diplomats were, Netanyahu said.

Israel and Syria have no formal relations. 

The Israeli leader said he had approved the request and assumed it would be acted on “in the near future.” 

Israel is also responding to a request for assistance from the Turkish government by sending two rescue and medical aid missions on Monday, he added. 

8:46 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Turkey and Syria death toll surpasses 1,800 following the devastating earthquake

From CNN's Hande Atay Alam 

Search and rescue efforts continue on collapsed 14-store-building in Adana, Turkey, on February 6.
Search and rescue efforts continue on collapsed 14-store-building in Adana, Turkey, on February 6. (Eren Bozkurt/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 1,824 after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Turkey early Monday.

The total death toll in Syria is 810. A total of at least 430 people have died in government-controlled areas, mostly in the regions of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA, which also reported 1,284 injuries.

Meanwhile, the "White Helmets" group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also reported at least 380 deaths and 1,000 injuries in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), at least 1,014 people have died and 7,003 people were injured following the earthquake in Turkey.

8:31 a.m. ET, February 6, 2023

Russia offers to help Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake

From CNN's Anna Chernova

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu offered help to his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in a phone call Monday, after a deadly earthquake struck Turkey and Syria earlier Monday.

Shoigu “offered to provide all necessary assistance through the military department to the Turkish colleague in the aftermath of the earthquake, including medical assistance to the victims,” according to the readout of the call published by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

He also expressed his condolences to Akar for the numerous casualties and destruction, the readout added.

Akar thanked the Russian defense minister for the offered assistance, “promising to prepare specific proposals in the near future,” the readout went on to say.

Earlier Monday, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, suggested Russian rescuers have technologies of determining the viability of buildings after earthquakes that could be useful, and said Moscow is “waiting for the signals” from the Turkish side.

“We have expressed readiness [to provide assistance] at the highest political level, we are waiting for signals from Turkish friends,” Peskov told reporters.